Tales from the Tavern
by BloodySelene
Summary: A collection of one-shot stories detailing various quests taken on by my characters and notable other hunters I've met over the years. Each quest is a stand-alone centered around a small group of hunters, tasked with hunting down and repelling or slaying monsters specified in Guild contracts. A passing familiarity of Monster Hunter is recommended for references and fine details.


Quest:

The Queen's Descent

The guild tavern was always a busy place in any city. Hunters from all around gathered, drinking and regaling stories of their most recent hunts or preparing for the next quest picked from the Guild's request list. Serving girls always carried at least a full mug of ale for the next hunter in need of a drink, and energetic music filled the room from whichever bard had drifted in for the day.

Away from the main bustle of relaxing hunters sat a younger hunter, in her prime and already armored for her next hunt. Red and white-striped Hermitaur armor adorned her body, thick plated shells protecting her chest and arms. A plated skirt reinforced by strips of shells dropped down to just below her thighs, and her legs were encased in thick shelled boots up to her knees. A red shelled face-plate sat on top of the hunter's head, her hair tied into short ponytails to either side of her head.

Across the empty table sat her weapon of choice, a black and blue-edged Imperial Gunlance. The Gunlance was a rare weapon for a hunter, few were willing to risk the explosive danger the weapon possessed. Each weapon was a long barrel, chambered and loaded with explosive shells, and the weapon could create an explosion on the tip at its wielder's command. A large, thick bayonet was attached under the barrel, made for slicing and piercing through the thick hides of large monsters.

The girl sat at her table, carefully inspecting each of the shells she had prepared for the coming hunt. The Imperial Gunlance was a designated Long Type by the Guild, able to chamber three shells at a time. Each shell was shaped and carried a special mix of gunpowder, allowing for the longest reach of all Gunlance types. Twelve shells sat on the table, enough for four complete reloads of her weapon.

Content with her ammunition, the hunter hit the release switch on her weapon, splitting it just beyond the shell chamber. Every Gunlance could split and fold in half to provide easier transport, but the convenience required constant maintenance. The girl thought to the stories she had heard from other taverns of arrogant hunters who neglected to treat their tools with respect. Her head shook as she applied an oiled brush, digging into the empty chamber to clean and clear the holes.

More than one hunter neglected to clean any residual gunpowder from the chambers, and some of them found their weapons detonating in their hand. She sighed as the brush drifted down to the locking mechanism, carefully oiling the hinges. The weapon would be just as useless if it wasn't able to open, or severely impair her movement if it couldn't collapse.

Content with her cleaning, the hunter replaced the brush in its oiled container, picking up one of her near-by whetstones, slowly and carefully grinding out the bayonet to a razor's edge. It was true the Gunlance had incredibly destructive power, but that power came at another price. Constant use of the shells wore down the bayonet, slowly warping the heated metal and wearing down its edge.

As she ground out a sharp edge to the weapon, another form approached her table, a flirtatious voice calling out. "Hey there sweetie, you want to go for a private hunt?"

The girl glared up and the new-comer as her hands slowly slotted in three of her shells, an instinctive motion repeated a hundred times over her many hunts. "I swear, Flan, if it was anyone else I would have shot you by now." The girl shook her head as she grabbed the barrel of her weapon, slamming it into the collapsed position with a loud metallic click. "So? What do you have for us today?"

The other hunter, Flan, leaned against the wall as she looked down to the first girl's weapon. Her own body was almost entirely encased in red scale armor and black leather. Her thick gauntlets and boots clanking as she walked. She always kept her grilled visor open, preferring to look out uninhibited to the world. A massive, thick sword of the same red scales and bone sat strapped to her back. It had taken some work and travel to acquire all the parts and bounties for the girl to complete her Rathalos armor, but the results spoke for themselves. The blade itself had been imbued with the fiery power of the wyvern and would sear through flesh in an instant. The armor itself was highly resistant to fire as well. Perfect for hunting wyverns.

"I know you're worried about your Gunlance. It's wearing down, isn't it?" The girl stepped away from the wall, stretching as her armor chinked together. "I got something local and easier than last time. There's a Rathian that has been seen in the forest and hills around Kokoto village. The chief doesn't like something that dangerous so close, so the Guild put out a hunt for it. Managed to snatch it up before anyone else."

"Easier?" The girl stood up, stepping away from the table to give her some space as she swung her weapon around, strapping it to her back. Even in collapsed mode, the Gunlance was still an unwieldy and large thing. "I seem to remember the last 'ian hunt where someone got stabbed by a spine and then a nasty injection of poison. Certain someone also _forgot to bring an antidote._"

"Hey, hey, it's fine isn't it Kana?" Flan waved her hands dismissively, shaking her head as she spoke. "You had an extra one anyways right? Mission complete, and without a major injury."

"I took extra because you're so happy-go-lucky that you never plan ahead!" The hunter pressed a gauntleted hand against her head, shaking back and forth in disbelief. The two couldn't have been more different if they'd tried. "Come on," she added with a sigh, strapping her thick shield to her left arm. The shield was tied for the best of all weapon classes, and the Imperial Gunlance had it's front decorated with the Guild's crest. Fully equipped for battle, she motioned for her companion to follow, "Let's go before the Guild revokes our hunt and hands it over to someone else."

"Hang on a minute, before we go." Flan added with a wink, walking backwards towards the Guild supply shop, "I need to pick up some antidotes."

Kana grunted in anger, roughly pushing her way through the guild's back door and heading out on her way to the Forest and Hills.

Flan caught up quickly, still hastily shoving her last minute supplies into her pouches for easier access. "Hey, hey! I said to wait up!" The second girl skipped ahead, turning as she walked backwards to look at her companion, and at the quickly disappearing Kokoto Guild Hall. "You should lighten up a little, have a couple beers. I bet you'd make a great party girl."

"Oh yeah, that'll be great. I can get drunk and go flirting and dancing without a care in the world. And the blow off my arm because I was too drunk to properly clean my weapon." Kana shook her head as she walked, looking over her should at the collapsed weapon. It was a dangerous thing, but she loved it still.

"Sure, sure, you could use a little fun in your life. Just as long as I'm the only one you flirt with." Flan smiled with a wink, turning back to face the trail. The two traveled the rest of the way on the worn path quietly, until they finally reached the Guild's prepared base camp.

The camp was centered around a large tent, covering enough beds and basic amenities to sustain a party of four hunters. Outside, a campfire sat between two large boxes. The first was blue, and carried Guild-provided supplies for a hunt. The second was red, and functioned as a place to deposit required quest materials. Behind the camp sat a small dock, extending out into the lake to provide easier fishing. "It's so nice hunting local. Such a pain in the ass to set up your own camp out on hunts, much nicer when the Guild does it ahead of time."

Kana rolled her eyes as she walked over to the Guild supply box, popping the blue crate open and looting the supplies within. She pulled out a rolled up map, sliding it into her belt, and gathered a few first-aid kits and rations before shutting the box. There wasn't much of a personal reason to grab everything, in case the Guild had to dispatch another hunt to the area before it could be properly restocked. "Come on, let's get started. We have to find the old girl first before we can kill it. Unless you wanted to sit here all day and drink around the campfire."

"Nah, we should get going." The girl offered a sly smile as she looked over her companion's armor before adding, "Maybe if you'd worn something a little nicer."

"Hey! What's wrong with my armor?!" Kana huffed as she crossed her arms, or at least as much as she could with a large metal shield strapped to her arm, "I like my armor. It's functional and stylish. And protects way more than yours."

"Hey, I'm just saying, you could have done better."

"H-how dare you!" Kana huffed as she stomped her foot into the soft dirt, her plated greaves clanking loudly. "What would have worn, huh?"

"Well, _I_ wouldn't have worn it, but..." Flan looked over her companion, letting her eyes linger before setting off to the exit of the secure camp, "Maybe that new set of clothes we finally finished for you. That would have been much better."

"I am _not_ wearing _Dosbiscus!_" Kana fumed as she stomped her foot again, angrily stalking off after her fellow hunter. "You know that's nothing but _flowers and silk_, right? The whole thing would burn off in one fire-ball."

"I know." Flan turned and offered a sly wink before continuing on her way. "That's the point."

Kana screamed in frustration as they left the camp, barging off behind her companion. "You are insufferable! Why do I even stay around you?"

Flan shrugged as the pair turned a final corner, emerging from the camouflaged entry-way to the base camp. The area was always breath-taking. Wide fields of tall grass and rolling hills, the Aptonoths grazing away without a care. Far away, the encompassing forest spread out before them. The hunter let the moment hang, taking it in silently before returning to her teasing. "Probably because I call you adorable when you get angry. Just admit you like it."

"I- You- Ahh, I can't take this anymore!" Kana fumed as she turned away for a moment to cool off, turning back to face her companion. "Come on. Let's get a move on. She's probably hunting in the forest. We would have seen here in the hills, and I doubt the 'ian would be sitting around on the mountain in prime hunting time."

"Lead the way." Flan swept her arms, indicating her fellow hunter to take the lead. She held in her smile until after Kana had passed. The fact that the girl had lowered her visor and hidden her face hadn't gone by unnoticed.

The pair crossed the river silently, leisurely traveling across the soft hills towards the edge of the forest. There was no need to hurry, the day was still young, and Kana had assured her companion that the Rathian would be hunting in the safety and shade of the forest. There were plenty of clearings for a large beast to roam. Some were natural, a clearing by a river, flower fields springing up or older trees falling over. Some were made when another large monster strayed too close to the village and cleared out its own territory. "Hey, Flan. You said I needed to have some more fun?"

"Yeah, you could do with a few drinks."

The hunter laughed for the first time as she flicked open her visor. "_This_ is my idea of fun. The hunt, the battle, the reward and parts. It's thrilling."

Flan joined in her laughter, and was about to respond when the pair reached the edge of the forest. Kana held up her hand, indicating silence once more from the other girl. This was the moment the true hunt began, announcing themselves to whatever lurked in the woods would end poorly.

Flan nodded her head in assent, allowing the girl to take the lead once more. She knew they both had comparable skills in combat, but she was humble enough to admit defeat when it came to tracking the beasts down.

Kana lead them deeper into the forest, stopping constantly to listen and look around. The pair stuck to the shadows of the large trees, avoiding the many shafts of light that penetrated the canopy as best they could. Progress was painfully slow to avoid creating too much noise, both from their own armor and from disturbing the forest detritus, carefully pushing aside fallen branches, stepping lightly. At the beginning, the only signs of life were large insectoid vespids and pig-like mosswain that dug up mushrooms and plant-life around them. Little could be seen to indicate the Rathian was around.

The hunt was slow, but not without it's eventual small joys. In more than one clearing, the pair had found fresh tracks from a heavy beast, and the imprint matched that of a wyvern. A few trees on the outskirts leaned at sharp angles, up rooted or smashed out of the way. Another clearing had a roasted kill by the edge, though it been there for more than a day. The Rathian wouldn't return for this kill unless she was truly desperate for food.

Another hour passed as the pair silently crept through the woods, slowly coming up to another clearing Kana had discovered before. A small stream flowed by this one, providing easy access to water. The creature would need a lot to stay hydrated, and the hunter hedged her bets on this one. As they crept closer, a sound reverberated from the stream before them. A low grow and the sound of tearing flesh. The hunters had found their mark.

The hunters crept to the edge, peering into the clearing. It was long, but slimmer than either would have liked. Dodging without dealing with the tree line would be difficult. The beast was also out of sight, the stream flowed through an alcove to the side deeper into the clearing. Thick, fallen trees were spread out randomly on the ground. The Rathian had apparently wanted some more room as much as the hunters did.

Kana motioned towards one of the fallen trees, wide and thick enough for a human to comfortably hide behind. The other girl nodded her head in confirmation as she softly patted the Gunlance on the hunter's back. Having a fall-back plan never hurt, even if it was reckless.

Both girls took a moment to breathe, steadying themselves for a moment before crawling out of the clearing. Sounds of ripping flesh and breaking bones echoed from the alcove. As much as either hated having to hurry now, they both knew there was a time limit to this hunt. The Rathian wouldn't stand around after finishing its meal.

They took another steadying breath, looking to each other for support. Knowing that either would be there for the other, they quickly dashed from one felled trunk to the next, trying to remain silent and move as quickly as they could. Before long, the pair reached the edge of the alcove, and Kana slowly eased her way around to peak in.

The Rathian was there, dull green scales covering the bipedal wyvern. Her wings were folded and was focused entirely on its meal, a half-eaten and seared Aptonoth, probably one separated from the herd that had wandered off. Wyverns were alpha-predators, and Rathians had a well know nickname: Queens of the Earth.

Kana swallowed as she watched the creature consume it's meal, reaching back to the handle of her Gunlance, fingering the release mechanism for the weapon. Hitting the switch would force the weapon into it's proper mode, but the transition would not be quiet. The hunter looked back to her companion. Flan nodded as she slowly crept away from the alcove's edge. Her part was to come.

Kana swallowed, breathing deeply one final time to steady herself. Slowly she edged her way into the alcove, barely even drawing a breath as she crept up on the wyvern. The Rathian was a wyvern, an alpha-predator; it had nothing to fear, no competition in this forest.

Until now.

Kana was close enough for her part in this play to begin. The hunter stood up, gripping the handle of her weapon and pulling it from her shoulder. As the weapon swung around, the girl shifted her finger, hitting the release switch. The front half of her Gunlance popped away from the back end, slamming the barrel into the chamber-hold with a loud metallic slam. It took the weapon a scant second to sync the barrel and loaded shells, the secondary locks clamping down on the weapon to prevent the barrel from dislodging. A second almost too long, as the Rathian reared back and roared, spreading its wings wide to intimidate the creature foolish enough to disturb it.

The hunter would not be so easy to frighten. Her previous hunts had included Rathians in the past, even one or two bigger than the one before her. The girl grimaced as the weathered the intense roar, resisting the painful urge to cover her ears.

It's intimidation tactic failing, the Rathian shot its head towards to tiny upstart, meaning to devour the creature clad in metal and shell before it. Kana resisted the urge to turn and run, feeling terror and excitement welling up within her body. Adrenalin pumped as the world seemed to slow down, the wyvern's head drawing closer, another finger resting on the firing switch. When its head was close enough, the hunter pressed down, and the tip of her weapon erupted into bright fire, scorching the side of the wyvern's head, boiling out an eye as the beast recoiled in pain, letting loose another scream.

Kana weathered it again behind her thick metal shield, slowly creeping backwards, never turning away from the monster. She made sure to check for branches or other obstacles that could trip her as she slowly edged backwards. She knew the cost of a single mistake against a beast many times her size, against the Queen of the Earth. Many hunters set out every year, and some never made it home. Death was all that awaited those who made mistakes.

The Rathian growled as it watched the shelled human hide behind it's metal wall, slowly backing away. Rage fueled the wyvern now, any thought of escape or nurturing its wound gone. The wyvern would kill and devour this creature that had wounded it so. Again the Rathian reared up, snaking it's long neck, growling in anger. This time when its head shot out, fire licked at the beasts mouth, opening its maw wide as a ball inflamed meat was ejected from the creature.

Kana was barely able to duck completely behind her shield as the fiery missile slammed into her metal shield. Meat splashed against the wall, spraying flames wide as it spread. Fire seeped around the girl's defenses, licking painfully at her exposed flesh, singeing her hair. The firestorm weathered, the hunter reappeared from behind her wall, continuing to back away from the wyvern.

Seeing it's fireball having little effect on the human, the Rathian switched tactics again. This time, the beast roared once more before barreling towards the hunter, meaning to crush the human in impact, its serpentine neck stretching to hold its head high, away from the wicked bite of the human's weapon.

This was what the hunters had been waiting for, the moment where their plan would succeed or fail. Luckily, in the Rathian's desire to avoid the blast from the Gunlance, the beast had misplaced the human, dropping its body to crush the hunter too late. Kana ducked under the beast, still getting clipped and thrown by the force of the impact. The hunter didn't mean to go down without a fight, and had angled her bayonet to slice through the wyvern's less protected stomach. The cut was awkward and shallow, but it was enough. The girl hit the firing switch again, her weapon exploding brightly, searing the Rathian's underbelly, the fire seeping into the cut and eliciting another roar of pain as the Rathian crashed down.

Kana was still vulnerable as the hunter scrambled to her feet, trying to bring her shield and unwieldy weapon back up in time. As the Rathian growled and turned to finish the human, Flan burst from her hiding stop in the thick underbrush, bringing her Great Sword down in a powerful chop. The heavy blade slammed through the Rathian's thin webbing on its wing, searing the flesh. With another roar, the wyvern swept it's tail wide.

Flan was able to bring her thick blade up in time to block the wicked spines, but the force of the attack sent the girl flying. In a moment of panic, Kana turned her attention to her companion, just as the wyvern swung again, slamming it's tail into the girl's chest. Unlike Flan's armor, the Hermitaur shell was thick and strong, reinforced by the Wyvernian Artisans. The poisonous spines weren't able to pierce her chest place, but the force sent the girl flying. Her hand reflexively gripping the Gunlance's handle tighter. A third explosion echoing out as she gripped the firing switch by mistake, blasting a small hole in the ground and flinging up dirt.

Kana yelled as she clambered slowly to her feet. "R... Reload!" Flan knew the girl needed some time to chamber more shells and bring the weapon back to full strength. The hunter needed to draw the wyvern's attention, and swung her Great Sword down again, aiming for the Rathian's other wing.

The beast managed to notice the attack, desperately shifting it's wing away to protect the thin, flight-granting webbing. Flan's Great Sword slammed down on the tip of the wing, shattering bone at the edge, but it wouldn't be enough to deny the creature flight if it tried to run. It roared once more and turned to face the new threat, snapping it's jaws at the girl.

Behind them, Kana triggered the temporary release. The barrel to her Gunlance snapped off, swinging down as the weapon automatically ejected the spent shells. The weapon would only remain in this position temporarily, and Kana worked quick to chamber her next three shells. She made a mental note as the weapon slammed shut again, locking the barrel in position with the ammunition chamber: nine shells left. Forcing herself to her feet, the hunter ran forwards as fast as she could with the weapon drawn, closing distance to the brawl.

The wyvern reared it's head back, stepping away from Flan, as flames licked at it's maw once more. The girl prepared to dodge to the side when the monster roared, choking on it's own projectile, vomiting out the flaming meat impudently. Behind the monster's leg, Flan could see her partner had shoved her bayonet deep into the Rathian's thigh and triggered her weapons shelling. The Rathian reared up to loose another roar, before a second explosion sounded off behind the wyvern, knocking it's leg out from under it, sending the beast crashing down.

Kana called as she triggered the temporary release again, leaving the thrashing beast alone, "Reload." The hunter had decided to use the reprieve to bring her weapon back, slotting in two fresh shells. Seven remaining, and already the bayonet began to blacken under the force of the shell's blast, the tip slowly melting under the heat. The Gunlance was losing its sharp edge, and fast.

Flan quickly repositioned as the Rathian thrashed to reorient itself, drawing her sword and preparing a massive strike straight to the beast's neck. The wyvern was able to writhe away as the blade came down, instead sinking deeply into its shoulder. The Rathian cried out again in pain, finally bring itself back to its feet. Blood surged from it's shoulder and seeped from its wounded stomach, the double blast having seared the flesh on its leg shut.

The beast realized it couldn't win this battle as Kana closed in to it's wounded side. With a guttural roar, the wyvern's wings pounded, blood pouring from its shoulder as it exerted itself, but the beast was still gaining lift.

"No you don't!" Kana screamed in denial as she swung her Gunlance, aiming straight up as she fingered the firing switch. The bayonet was just short of the Rathian's wing, but the long explosion ripped through it's already cut wing, blowing a wide, burning hole straight through the thin skin. Kana barely had the time to dive away before the wyvern came crashing down, no longer able to support its weight with one destroyed wing. Six shells remained for her weapon.

This time the large monster was able to right itself quicker, snaking it's neck away as Flan's Great Sword slammed down. Again the beast wasn't able to dodge completely, and the burning red blade sunk deep into the wyvern's muscled flank, more blood spilling freely.

The Rathian's tail flung wildly, slamming into Kana hard enough to send the girl flying out into the clearing, another shell firing harmless wide as the hunter slammed painfully into the ground. The force had pierced her chest piece, and though the wound wasn't deep, it burned wildly. The girl had been poisoned. "R-Reload! Plan B!" Away from the wyvern's attention for now, the girl hit the compact switch, the Gunlance ejecting the two spent shells as it split, slamming loudly into it's collapsed form. Kana holstered the weapon as she turned and ran away clutching her chest and breathing heavily, fleeing the monster and into the clearing. Collecting two more of her remaining five shells to reload the weapon.

Flan pushed the girl out of her mind as much as she could. The Rathian was in its death throes, and at its most dangerous because of it. The beast would refuse to die alone, and would see the demise of its attackers if given the chance. Plus, there would be no payment if they didn't bring back proof the wyvern was dead. It had to die by their hands. Kana would be out of the fight now, poisoned and wounded. It was time for Plan B.

Again the beast reared it's neck, flames licking at it's maw. This time there was no projectile, only a streaming torrent of fire. The beast would burn out its own throat for keeping the inferno going so long, but being at death's door removed its inhibitions. Flan was barely able to bring her thick Great Sword up in time, hiding behind it as much as she could. Fire washed over the girl, searing her exposed hands and limbs, screaming in pain until the inferno at last subsided. Her armor burned bright red, heat waves drifting off of her body, but the Rathalos armor had held its own against the fire.

Flan dropped her Great Sword as the Rathian began to charge once more. The weapon was nothing like Kana's reinforced shield, she would be bowled over and crushed instantly. Her fingers burned as she let go of the blade. She lacked the control to wield it properly now anyways.

She dived under the charging Rathian, blood dripping over her armor as she barely avoided being crushed to death. The wyvern slowly climbed to its feet, roaring loudly in rage and denial, and for a second Flan thought her ear drums would burst. Again the creature began to charge, barreling towards Flan in the narrow clearing. It would not allow her to avoid the hit again, so the hunter did the only thing she could do.

She turned and ran as fast as she could.

Flan sprinted as best she could, focusing only on the thick fallen tree the pair had agreed on at the beginning of their engagement. Behind her the dying wyvern charged, crashing through trees, barreling towards her as it screamed in rage. The hunter payed it no mind, only focusing on reaching the fallen tree, jumping over and clearing it.

Below her Kana's Gunlance had been propped up, the wounded girl barely crouched up right, her stance offering as much resistance as she could. A foot long flame licked at Flan's feet, clearing the tip of the weapon.

For all their differences, there was one thing the two girl's shared. Complete trust in each other. Neither would be as stupid or foolish to try what was happening without trusting in the other completely. The slightest mistake would instantly kill one of them, if not both.

Kana breathed a sigh of relief as Flan cleared the tree branch, as the tip of her weapon spewed fire freely. Her arm ached, and her ears felt as though they were bleeding, her weapon emitting a high-pitched screech. She braced herself for the coming pain, closing her eyes just as the Rathian's head cleared the thick trunk.

And the world exploded into a sea of white heat.

Even with her eye's closed, the bright light burned, intense heat washed over the girl as pain shot through her arm and into her chest, the force of the explosion slamming her body against the hard ground, blasting the weapon clear of her weakened arm. Above her, the Rathian slammed into the thick trunk, tripping over it as the wyvern collapsed limply behind both girls. Flan peeked up from the other side of the tree, having dodged back around to avoid the Gunlance's signature attack, Wyvernfire.

The Gunlance had its own share of gunpowder stashed in hidden, reinforced chambers. The weapon was able to prime an explosive charge using the reserves, put on a timer for the wielder to brace themselves, and set off a chain reaction by exploding the chambered shells. The attack alone was stronger than anything else the weapon could do, but was limited to one shot without taking a lengthy amount of time and effort to restock its stores of gunpowder. Taking all three chambered to trigger it left the girl with a single shell.

Flan glanced at the weapon, lying away from the prone girl. The top had ejected its wicket, a fiery core revealed as it vented itself, waves of heat distorting the weapons silhouette. The barrel itself glowed a hot red, and the weakened bayonet had shattered under the force of the explosion.

The hunter forced herself to look away, knowing that her partner would be heart broken when she came around. Behind them the Rathian lay unmoving, its good wing snapped and resting at an unnatural angle. Flan slowly made her way to the creature, creeping around to see if it was truly dead. She sighed as she circled enough to see the other side of the wyvern's head.

The entire left side of the Rathian's head had been pulped and blown away by the force of the blast. There was no way the creature had survived more than an instant under the explosive inferno of the attack. Blood oozed from its other wounds, but the intense heat had cauterized and seared the burned flesh shut. There was simply nothing there. Flan sighed as she trudged back to collect her fallen blade. She adored her partner, but could never shake the fear she'd wind up killing herself one day with such a destructive weapon.

When Kana came to, her weapon was propped up against the tree and her shield removed from her left arm. Her right was in a cloth sling, and the first aid kits missing from her bag. The hunter was glad she had taken an antidote before their gambit, she didn't know how long she had been out.

"'Bout time you woke up, sleepy." Kana tilted her head back and looked up to see Flan above her, bandaged and smiling. Her Great Sword impaling the tree next to her, blackened and burning wood slowly expanding away from the blade. "Glad you're finally up. Didn't know if the first-aid kits would be enough."

Kana sighed as she lay back against the tree, looking over at her prized weapon, shattered and slightly warped from the heat. The girl had to fight back her tears, resisting the urge to cry. "Did... did we..?"

Flan simply nodded, pointing her head behind the side of the trunk she had propped her partner against. Kana stood up shakily, stumbling around to see the dead wyvern. Cut, burned, and blasted, they had completed their mission. "Hunt successful, I suppose..."

Flan slid down from her perch, wrapping the girl in a tight hug. "Hey, we won. Don't be so down on yourself. We'll get your Gunlance fixed and be back out hunting in no time. I'll chip in and help, don't worry. But you'll have to have a drink with me when we make it back to the Guild Hall."

Despite her sadness at losing her weapon and exhaustion at the hunt that nearly went sour, the girl merely shook her head, almost at a loss for words. "You idiot." She sighed once, collapsing back to sit down and rest. "_One _drink. Then it's back to preparing for the next hunt."


End file.
